Thane Harpole, co-director of the Fairfield Foundation, recently spoke at the quarterly meeting of the Gloucester Historical Society. The foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Harpole indicated they are having their best year ever. They have hosted 21 interns this summer and have run six weeks of archaeology camps.
Several years ago, the Fairfield Foundation and the Rosewell Foundation merged. Fairfield took over the management, restoration, maintenance and fundraising for Rosewell, which is owned by the Historical Society. Harpole said that Fairfield plans to continue restoration of the ruins, expand open hours of the visitor’s center, and provide more library space. The recently constructed Remembrance Structure will promote discussion and interpretation of the lives of the enslaved that were on the plantation.
Work on the Fairfield Plantation site has been ongoing. Funding has been obtained to build a walkway over the foundation to allow better access. A picnic type shelte...